


a dash of ladybug luck

by writing_addict



Series: The Miraculous Tales of Skathari and Mechanicat [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Miraculous Ladybug Fusion, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, BAMF Edward Elric, BAMF Winry Rockbell, Crushes, Dorks in Love, Epic Friendship, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Heroes & Heroines, One Shot, Partners in Crime, Secret Identity, Vigilantism, and winry rockbell is chat noir (mechanicat), ed becomes a superhero and gives a big ol "fuck you" to the military by doing their job for them, ed is stupid in love, general badassery, in which edward elric is ladybug (skathari), no i do not take constructive criticism, winry also becomes a superhero and gives a big ol "fuck you" to anyone who thinks she can't, yes her name is a pun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 17:50:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20878253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writing_addict/pseuds/writing_addict
Summary: Being a State Alchemist is hard enough without adding magical superheroism into the mix, but Ed's managing. A year into the job and he thinks he's got the hang of the battling-akumas part of it...even if the wholefalling-in-love-with-his-stupid-gorgeous-partnerthing is starting to get ridiculous. But she's got his back, and he's got hers, and that...well, that makes the job a whole lot easier.And with Al by his side as Edward Elric and Mechanicat fighting with him as Skathari, he's damn near invincible.





	a dash of ladybug luck

**Author's Note:**

> Happy FMA Day! I was supposed to do a Mean Girls AU (or, well, a Mean Girls musical AU) for October 3rd, but this idea grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go. I'll confess that I'm not well-versed in how Miraculous Ladybug works, but I adore the concept and a lot of my friends enjoy it, so...here we are! I tried to make it as Miraculous-accurate as possible, but I probably screwed up. If I did, please let me know and I'll try to fix it!
> 
> The premise of this story is thus: everything that happens in FMA:B canon happened, except the Miraculous also exist. Of course, they're only known about by a few--Father, the homunculi, and their wielders. Kimblee isn't out of prison, but a year before this one-shot takes place, a small pin found its way into his cell. Since then, he's been using the Butterfly as Monarch to cause chaos, eager to draw out any other Miraculouses and test that power against humanity. Enter the Ladybug and the Black Cat, who found their way into the hands of the youngest state alchemist in history and one of the world's most brilliant mechanics. Ed and Winry have been fighting to take back the Butterfly for a year now--without any idea of who the other is behind the mask. Turns out it's a lot easier to fall for someone who fights beside you every day than you might think. Winry is still head over heels for her childhood friend--but Ed's crushing hard on the cat-half of this superhero duo.
> 
> Ed's hero name, Skathari, means "Beetle" in Greek (at least, according to Google Translate), so I'm gonna call it Xerxean for the sake of this story. Winry's, Mechanicat, is a play off of "mechanic" while also nodding to her Miraculous--the Black Cat. 
> 
> I plan to make this a series and include more love-square-y and dramatic battle moments, but for now, I hope you enjoy this piece!

Ed was almost grateful when the sharp blaring of the akuma alarm cut off Colonel Mustang’s brewing rant. The bastard’s (_“Ed, don’t be so mean!”) _irritation only seemed to grow as the sirens started to wail, rubbing at his temples. He almost felt a bit bad for him. He seemed exhausted, and getting reports of his latest (admittedly _kind _of reckless—but not enough to warrant being yelled at! He fixed it all after, anyways) mission probably hadn’t made it much better, but hey—whatever got him out of another lecture on _personal responsibility _and _military budget _and _reckless endangerment, _right?

_You’ll just be getting one from Al, anyways, _he reminded himself, and his budding triumph slipped away to a scowl even as he got to his feet. _Another attack? Really? It’s been two days, Monarch! Two days! Don’t you ever need a goddamn break? _“Another evacuation?” he checked, already edging toward the door. _Gotta get out, gotta get out, c’mon, hurry _up.

Mustang paused, fingers hovering over the small radio as the emergency broadcast blared. Ed cocked his head to the side, hand on the doorknob and already half-turning it as something stirred in the pocket of his coat, before internally pumping his fist in victory as his commanding officer sighed. “So it seems. Get out of here, Fullmetal—but bring me that goddamn report tomorrow or _I swear to God—”_

“_Greatthanksbye!”_

He whisked himself out the door, the rest of the Colonel’s shout fading into the background as he wove around bickering, panicking military officials and ducked into a tiny alcove. Usually, he wouldn’t do this _in _Eastern Command, but there was no way he was getting through that crush of people in time to reach somewhere moderately _less _crowded. Cameras were still a concern, but as soon as he’d accepted that _yeah, magic was a thing and its laws were fucking weird, but also somehow worked_, he’d carefully marked each of the deadzones in the building and timed the routes for getting to each. And this tiny little space was both near a window and free of security cameras, meaning it was _perfect _for this.

The stirring in his pocket increased, and a blur of red and black spots popped up in front of him, indigo eyes bright. “Ready, Ed?” she chirped in that sweet voice that had once gotten on his every last nerve. Now, though, it had grown on him. As had…_all _of this. But especially the whole “having a friend in your pocket” thing; he was never alone, not when he had Al, but there were certain things he couldn’t talk to his brother about.

And this…well, this was just about the top of the _“Never-Ever-Ever-Tell-ANYONE” _list. Even if he felt awful for hiding it from him, it was the safest thing. Knowing who he was would put him in Monarch’s line of sight, and potentially get him akumatized or tortured or—_something. _And sure, you couldn’t exactly torture a suit of armor by normal means, but the guy could turn people into supervillains with magic butterflies. He had no doubt that he’d figure out a way to torment Al, and he _would not let that happen. _

He’d failed his little brother enough already. He wouldn’t be responsible for this, too. Even if it would be gratifying to see his reaction when he found out he’d been fanboying over his own brother. “Always am, Tikki. _Spots on!”_

After a year, you’d think he’d have gotten used to the warm, lightning-sharp shock of energy that struck him when red light rushed over him and left him someone _new, _but it was one of those things that just _never _got old. The aches of his automail faded away as black-spotted red enveloped them, armor developing along his shoulders and shins, the material of the suit melting into black boots and gloves. The suit itself was _incredible, _honestly; he knew Winry would give anything to investigate the mechanics of it, and he wished he could tell her if only to see her geeking out over it.

Though the physical side-effects of this whole superhero side-gig kind of _sucked. _He was smaller than ever, even if he could lift a car one handed, and _everyone _noticed. Maybe he should whack them all with the yo-yo—

There was a crash from outside, and a roar, and Skathari grimaced. _After handling the akuma. And Monarch. _

A push to the window—unlatched already, _thank you, ladybug luck—_and he swung himself onto the roof, leaping across buildings in the direction people were fleeing from. Grayed-out victims staggered after them, flickering and phasing through each other, and he paused, watching in horror as one grabbed a terrified woman. Instantly, she faded to gray, and the akuma victim’s hand passed right through her. _Holy shit, okay. So it’s one of those mob akumas, only…her victims don’t really seem to be working together, do they? _They were all grouped together, sure, but they couldn’t touch each other, didn’t seem to know that the others existed…

“Bug!”

He glanced up before sighing in relief as a black-clad figure landed beside him, spinning her quarterstaff and looking just as disturbed as he felt. “Mechanicat. What’ve we got?”

His partner leaned on her staff, squinting down at the scene warily, her tail flicking. “The akuma calls herself _Solitude. _Apparently her friends didn’t invite her to a party everyone in her class was invited to, so her prerogative is to make all of Amestris feel as alone as she does.”

“Explains why the afflicted don’t notice each other,” he muttered, before raising his eyebrows behind the mask. “All of Amestris, huh? Not just East City?”

“Don’t think world domination is what people have in mind when they tell their kids to _dream big,” _she joked, and he snorted. “Good news is she’s pretty occupied with tormenting those friends before she turns them, too. It’s just a matter of everyone she got first spreading the isolation. So we take her out, you _Miraculous Ladybug _it up, and we cross our fingers that Monarch actually waits a week so we can both get some actual rest.”

Skathari shook his head mournfully, already bracing himself for a scolding from Al about _sleep. _“Unlikely.”

Mechanicat sighed, straightening. “Yeah, I know. A girl can dream, though, right?”

“Apparently not, since neither of us are sleeping.” He grinned ruefully at her, spinning the yo-yo in a practiced motion. It took him forever to figure out how to work the damn thing (he tried to practice with one in his room and broke one of the pots for the cacti Al started putting in the dorms to “brighten up the place”), but now it felt as natural as his automail blade—a little troublesome at times, but a part of him. “Ladies first?”

“Thought you’d never ask!” She sprang off the roof, bounding off lampposts and balconies, moving from rooftop to rooftop with—well, _catlike _grace, her tail aiding her balance. Cats always landed on their feet, he reflected wryly, flinging out the yo-yo and swinging after her, and it seemed cat _heroes _were the same. She’d even caught him a few times when he fell off of those narrow railings she favored. It was _embarrassing._

Though…well, she was one of a handful of people he didn’t mind leaning on. Actually, _didn’t mind _was a bit of an understatement. Mechanicat was…one of his closest friends, in and out of the mask. He didn’t know her identity, true, but they’d crossed paths while she was in it and he was _out _of it, and it was embarrassingly easy to talk to her. About _anything. _Part of being a superhero, maybe, but _ugh, _why did that charm have to work on him so well? She was supposed to charm the _press _or something, not him! And if he _told _her, she’d probably make a joke about her charm being entirely unintentional and wink at him with those _stupidly gorgeous _blue eyes (they looked like _sapphires _and he’d ranted—_gushed, _his kwami said, but it definitely _wasn’t_ gushing—to Tikki about them for hours and it was _stupid)._

…Maybe he was a little farther gone on her than he thought. Just a bit.

Maybe he needed to _fucking focus _instead of getting distracted by her exposed arms. Even if she did have truly stunning biceps and could probably kick his ass and _fucking hell, what happened to _focus? He shook himself briskly, launching himself upwards with another toss of the yo-yo. The cold bite of the wind, however annoying it was when he was Edward Elric, managed to clear his head a little bit—

And then he lurched to a halt, skidding gracelessly on the rooftop. He held out a hand to stop Mechanicat before she could move any further, his eyes narrowing. “You said she’s called Solitude?”

“Not the most creative name, I know, but—”

He shook his head, pointing to the open square their perch was on the edge of. “_Look_,” he muttered, gaze fixed on the figure standing placidly on the central fountain, surrounded by a ring of grayed-out afflicted. The akuma looked serene, her skin snow-pale and her hair night-dark, a broken crown of thorns on her head. Gloved hands were folded neatly over her chest as dark eyes surveyed her “kingdom” (ugh, Skathari _hated _that word, it was so _cliché_). The only color to her whole ensemble was the blue party dress she wore; otherwise, she looked…well, like Monarch had recycled every “wicked queen” trope in the _book._

Mechanicat’s eyes narrowed, slitted pupils contracting slightly as she crouched on the railing. “As far as I can tell, this is where she got akumatized. Those friends of hers are stuck in the circle.” Black cat ears angled ever-so-slightly toward the ring of afflicted surrounding the fountain, movements as small as possible so as not to draw attention. Skathari followed her gaze and hid a grimace—three girls, one guy, all in day clothes, cowered against the fountain, pleading with their silent friend (_though they don’t exactly have a right to call her that if they excluded her on purpose, _a nasty voice sneered, and he squashed it; right now, they were civilians in need of help). Odd, considering that Solitude was dressed for a night out…

_Unless._

Solitude was gotten akumatized after being excluded from a party. Of course, it was possible that the dress was just Monarch’s rather unsubtle nod to the reason she’d become Solitude in the first place, but nothing else about her really _stuck out. _There were no charm bracelets or best friend necklaces, no treasured objects that the akuma might inhabit. Nothing else that both didn’t fit her whole _theme _and seemed personal enough to allude to the location of an akuma. Judging from Mechanicat’s pricked ears and tensed posture, she’d picked up on the same thing.

“The dress,” they said in unison, glancing at each other. _Akumatized object located. Next step: getting close enough for her to Cataclysm the damn thing. _

“Think you should call for Lucky Charm now?” She angled her head toward him, blonde bangs hiding the top ridge of that black mask. He glanced at her, tightening his grip on the yo-yo—before shaking his head.

“We know where it is. Let’s not risking running out the clock until we absolutely have to.” He straightened, gazing down at the oblivious akuma. “You up for a chase, Kitty?”

She chuckled. “Am I the hunter or the prey?”

“Hunter. This time. I’ll draw her attention—”

“—and I’ll sneak up and Cataclysm the dress,” she finished. “I’ll follow your lead, Bug. Give ‘em hell.”

He grinned over at her, before leaping off the building. For a moment, there was nothing but the rush of wind in his ears, the lightning-sharp adrenaline of free-fall shocking through his veins. The ground drew closer and closer, but there was no fear, no panic, nothing but _life_ itself. Creation and destruction went hand in hand, and here, where he was closer than ever to death, he felt like _more _than Edward Elric. _More _than the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Fearless.

Invincible.

_Miraculous_.

Golden eyes snapped open, and he cast the yo-yo out with a flick of his wrist, the cord wrapping around a lamppost as he swung himself atop it. Black eyes snapped to him, the colorless akuma victims following suit like puppets on strings as he sat on the thin bar of metal, swinging his legs back and forth. “Solitude, was it? Isn’t that a bit too on-the-nose for someone as classy as you?” Ugh. He wasn’t all that good at the charming-distraction part, not like Mechanicat was, but he’d gotten better. A year ago he would’ve just punched them and run.

Her eyes narrowed, the purple outline of a butterfly shimmering into view over her face. _Monarch. _He waggled his fingers innocently at his foe, smiling sweetly. “Skathari. Come to turn your Miraculous in?”

“Nope!” He chirped, letting his grin turn mischievous, cocksure—a little more Fullmetal. “Actually, I’m kinda looking to take your boss’s, so if you could point me in his direction, I’d be _so _grateful.”

She stared impassively at him, the outline flickering and fading. “Monarch’s given me the chance to be heard for once. Can you give me that, _hero?”_

Okay, so she was getting a bit pissed. Pissed was good. Pissed kept her eyes off of his partner and on him. He could work with pissed. “Unless Lucky Charm gives me a megaphone, you’re shit outta luck, _akuma.” _He did feel bad for her, though. Even if people didn’t always take him seriously, he at least _had_ people who’d listen to him. He’d always had Al and always would—and, well, now he had Tikki for all the things he couldn’t tell Al. This girl felt like she didn’t have any of that, and that kind of despair…he could understand it.

“Then why would I tell you anything?” She lifted her chin, before her brow furrowed. “Where’s that mangy cat?”

He barely avoided snarling. _Don’t you dare talk about my partner that way! _“On her way, I’m sure.”

Interest sparked in those fathomless eyes. “So you’re alone.”

“Not for long.”

She waved a gloved hand dismissively. “That’s what I said, too. They told me the party was _yesterday.” _Her voice rose ever-so-slightly, and she stomped her heeled foot, a faint pulse of gray running through the ground. Skathari forced himself not to shudder as an aching feeling of _loneliness _swept over him, deep and despairing. Across the square, he could see Mechanicat’s ears flatten, a clawed hand pressed to her heart as she hissed against the pain. _So she can send out negativity shockwaves. Good to know. _“I was _so excited! _I saved up to get my hair done for _weeks! _I bought new _makeup! _I checked the date over and over again, and they always told me it was _yesterday! _I even got my mother to buy me a dress fit for a queen!” Her voice rose to an anguished shriek.

Okay. This was starting to sound a lot less like a girl who was excluded from a party and a lot more like someone who’d been the victim of a cruel prank, or the worst long con in history, or _something. _When they de-evilized her, he was going to show up on each of those kids’ windowsills to knock—er, _roughly scold _some sense into them. But keeping the girl distracted was the priority. He raised an eyebrow at her as Mechanicat darted along the tops of lampposts and trees, well out of range of the akuma victims’ reaching hands, their mistress too incensed by the chance to tell her story to pay attention.

“But what did they do? _THEY LIED!” _She jabbed her finger at her cowering friends, a snarl etched on her pretty face. “They told me they would come pick me up, that we would all go together! That I’d get to go to a party with friends—_and they lied! _I waited and waited, just like you’re going to keep waiting for that _stupid cat. _I kept telling myself that it wasn’t long now! That they’d show up any moment!”

Black eyes blazed as she bared her teeth. “I waited until _one in the morning. _And you know what I got as an _apology? _As _payment _for my wasted time, my wasted money? A _phone call! _Sweet little Mindy called and apologized for giving me the wrong _date—_even though I’d asked her to make sure _ten times! _And she thought I wouldn’t catch on! She thought I’d _believe _them!” Gray was rippling from her in waves now, and Skathari barely kept himself from curling up against the force of the grief and betrayal in his chest. Color was leeching out of his fingertips, crawling up his arms, leaking from his eyes. “But I know the truth now—_I’VE ALWAYS BEEN ALONE!”_

She bared her teeth in a wild grin, prowling forward. “And now, _so will you.”_

_Alone. Alone. Alone._

His father walking out the door. His mother dying. His brother trapped.

_Alone. Alone. Alone. _

The youngest state alchemist. The oldest Elric. The first hero of Amestris—but he was always—

_Alone. Alone. Alone._

Tears started to leak down the material of a grayed-out mask, colorless eyes opening as a trembling hand of metal pressed itself to his chest, fingers trying to dig into his heart. It hurt _so much. _Had it _always _hurt this much? Had he always been—

_Alone?_

His gaze dragged itself upward—and caught on pained eyes, slit pupils, and black mask. Clawed fingers dug into leather and armor, curling into her heart, a ring on her clawed gloves flashing ever-so-slightly as her stare bored into his.

His…partner. The daring superheroine who always had his back no matter the situation, who’d taken dozens of akuma hits for him, who’d caught him after every fall and pulled him together after every failure.

His _friend. _The sweet, kind girl who popped in to check on his civilian identity after akuma fights without even knowing it was him, who used her ring to send him funny messages on the hard days, who challenged him to races across the rooftops of whatever city they were fighting in.

His—his _crush_. Both of those people combined and yet _more, _her claws protective, never possessive, her smile like summer and her eyes brighter than the North Star. Someone who made his heart skip and stutter and made him forget Amestrian entirely, who somehow made him look like a fool in front of her and who’d laugh it off regardless.

Red and black seeped back into his suit, gold into his hair, his eyes. That shimmering blue bled back into Mechanicat’s scelarae and irises, and her lips pulled into a wild grin even as she broke into a run.

Skathari inhaled, exhaled—and grinned right back.

“Unfortunately for you, Solitude…I’m never alone.”

Black claws connected with blue fabric.

_“Cataclysm!”_

Solitude shrieked and wailed, but Skathari only had eyes for the black butterfly. He snapped the yo-yo shut around it, before releasing it into the sky, reborn as a creature of light. His partner vaulted up beside him, and he threw his yo-yo into the air.

_“Miraculous Ladybug!”_

* * *

The Ladybug Cure fixed a lot of things, but it didn’t change what Sera Lavine—formerly known as Solitude—had suffered at the hands of her so-called friends. The poor girl was horrified by what she’d done, but when the four had tried to play off her anger as an overreaction, Skathari had given them the _wickedest _glare she’d ever seen from her partner. It almost reminded Mechanicat of her favorite—or least favorite, depending on what he’d done to her poor automail—client’s look when someone tried to insult her, and it was _priceless. _She’d love to be a fly on the wall for _those _late-night visits.

But alas, her ring was beeping, and so were his earrings. “Slam five?” she offered, grinning at him. He rolled his eyes, but obliged her—fist-bump, down-low high-five, then interlocked pinkies. She’d come up with it after an akuma had impersonated her and Skathari and nearly tricked them both. Originally, it was supposed to be a way to tell if they were the real deal in case another illusion akuma popped up, but it had become something of an after-battle ritual.

Honestly, she liked it better that way. She spun her baton in her hand. “Until next time, Skathari?”

“Until next time,” her partner echoed, and nodded to the ring. “Shoot me a message when you get back.”

“Same to you.” She blew him a kiss—was he _blushing? No way—_and leapt up, up, up to the rooftops. She could see a speck of red swinging away as she darted across buildings, back to her apartment, and a familiar warmth settled in her chest. _He’ll be fine. _Though she’d have to check on Ed later. Hopefully, he hadn’t gotten caught up in this fight, though with his luck…

Well, a girl could hope, right?

She landed on her balcony and ducked inside just in time, groaning as the aches of the day swept over her and her transformation dropped. Skathari’s Cure fixed akuma damage, but it sure as hell didn’t make her feel any less tired. _“Ugh,” _she muttered, rubbing at her temples. “Plagg, where’s the Advil?”

“Under that monster on on your desk,” the cat kwami grumbled, flopping onto her pillow—right in the center of it, of course. Stupid cat. It wasn't like she might want a _nap_ or anything after a _strenuous_ fight. “I require _sustenance_. It’s the only way I’ll survive you being all mushy with your stupid boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend, Plagg!” Heat rushed to her cheeks even as she brushed gears and schematics aside, uncovering the Advil and popped it open, swallowing one. She tossed him a small wedge of cheese (gross, _smelly _cheese, though lately she’d been weaning him off it and onto apple pie). “He’s just a…a childhood friend.”

“Who you’re _clearly _into. I mean, why else would you be laying on the moves as Mechanicat?”

“_BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME TO!” _she nearly shrieked, before sighing. “And—oh, god, I _have _been laying on the moves, haven’t I?”

“_Terribly,” _Plagg informed her severely through a mouthful of cheese. “It seems to be working, too. The kid can barely string together a sentence when you’re around.”

“But not when I’m a civilian.” She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. “…You know what, I’ll take what I can get. As long as it doesn’t go public, he won’t be in danger from Monarch, and…well, I get to make sure he’s not killing himself looking for that Stone.”

“Attagirl,” Plagg muttered with no real enthusiasm—not that she was expecting it. “You’re gonna drag me out there again, aren’t you.”

She couldn’t help laughing at that. “Yeah, I am.”

“Just don’t be too mushy, or I’m gonna throw up on your suit. Or _in_ your suit. How would that even work, anyway?”

She laughed, reopening her balcony doors. A year ago—well, a year ago, she was still in Risembool, still waiting, still working, still playing a _bystander. _All she’d been doing for years was worrying and supporting and wondering. She’d known—she’d _thought _she’d known her limits. She thought she knew about the world. She’d thought so many things about life, about friendship and bonds and what it took to protect people.

She’d thought she knew _herself._

Then came a little white ring and a little god of destruction. Then came a spotted superhero who meant just as much to her as those idiot brothers. Then came _power, _sure and strong and entirely _hers, _and with it the ability to protect not just the Elrics, but entire _cities_. Then came an apprenticeship in East City, and with it the chance to sharpen the _other _half of her identity.

She was a mechanic, and a damn good one, and she’d always be proud of that. But now she was _so much more._

Winry Rockbell inhaled sweet night air as the city sky faded to black, the lights of East glinting off her ring, and called: “Plagg, _claws out!”_

_ _

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys liked it (and the drawing! I'm not the best artist, but I did my best)! It was fun to write; superhero/vigilante pieces are some of my favorites, and getting the chance to try my hand at this new AU was an absolute blast! Leave a comment or a kudos if you enjoyed it, and let me know if you want to see more of the Miraculous Skathari and Mechanicat! Thanks for reading <3


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